Director and writer Abu Aleeha believes that the success of a film lies in picking the right genre. He points out that horror comedy, which is gaining huge popularity worldwide, especially in Bollywood, is a winning choice for capturing audiences and hitting box office targets. Abu Aleeha also made a horror comedy film ‘Kataksha’, earning 19.3 million rupees at the box office.
The conversation started when the CEO of 422 Murad Kazmi asked him for advice in choosing a film genre.
The Taxali Gate writer said, “I suggested horror comedy, which made him laugh. He teased me, saying I was one of the few who had attempted it, and asked about the outcome. I admitted that either we didn’t execute it well or audiences weren’t ready for cinema post-Covid. However, I emphasized that horror comedy is a globally popular genre that doesn’t require a large cast or elaborate production design.”
Abu Aleeha continued, saying “With compelling characters, you can captivate audiences for two hours in a single location. The success of Stree 2, which will soon cross 300 crores, and Munjya, which earned over 100 crores two months ago, proves this point.”
He concluded, “My advice is to create a film that audiences want to see, rather than what’s easily producible.”
Here is a look at the box office results of some well-known horror-comedies:
Indian Movies Stree – INR 180 crores Bhool Bhulaiya- INR 266.88 crore.
Munjya – 132 crore at the box office. Pakistani Films Rangreza (2017) – PKR 2 crores. Koi Tujh Sa Kahan (2014) – PKR 1 crore.
Social media is a big source of arguments, being the quickest source to share information worldwide. A single picture, especially if posted by someone important, can cause chaos between countries.
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, posted about his recent trip to Lakshadweep on X (former Twitter).
“In addition to the scenic beauty, Lakshadweep’s tranquility is also mesmerising. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how to work even harder for the welfare of 140 crore Indians,” the caption read.
In addition to the scenic beauty, Lakshadweep’s tranquility is also mesmerising. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how to work even harder for the welfare of 140 crore Indians. pic.twitter.com/VeQi6gmjIM
Social media erupted with calls for boycott of Maldives tours after Maldivian politician Zahid Rameez made objectionable remarks regarding Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep.
The incident led to the trending of the hashtag #BoycottMaldives on X in India.
The controversy unfolded when Rameez, a member of the Progressive Party, responded to a claim suggesting that PM Modi’s visit was a setback for the Maldives and would boost tourism in Lakshadweep.
Rameez mocked Indians, stating that competing with the Maldives for tourism was “delusional.” He questioned how India could match the level of service and cleanliness offered by the island nation, adding that the permanent smell in Indian rooms would be a significant drawback.
Rameez’s remarks ignited a heated exchange on the microblogging site, with many users sharply criticizing him.
Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment Maldives, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, also criticised Modi and said, “While I wish success for India’s tourism, targeting the Maldives so explicitly isn’t diplomatic. India faces significant challenges competing in beach tourism, considering our resort infrastructure exceeds their total islands. Plus this is your culture @narendramodi.”
Subsequently, the hashtag #BoycottMaldives gained traction on social media, with influencers joining the call for a boycott.
Adding fuel to the fire, Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna also made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a now-deleted post, further fueling the outrage.
Former President Nasheed urged the Maldivian government to distance itself from the offensive comments made by Shiuna and provide clear assurance to India that they do not reflect official government policy.
“What appalling language by Maldives Government official @shiuna_m towards the leader of a key ally, that is instrumental for Maldives’ security and prosperity. @MMuizzu gov must distance itself from these comments and give clear assurance to India they do not reflect gov policy.”
What appalling language by Maldives Government official @shiuna_m towards the leader of a key ally, that is instrumental for Maldives’ security and prosperity. @MMuizzu gov must distance itself from these comments and give clear assurance to India they do not reflect gov policy.
In response to the growing calls for a boycott, several Indian celebrities, including Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar, took to social media.
Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such… pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN
250+ days since we rang in my 50th birthday in Sindhudurg!
The coastal town offered everything we wanted, and more. Gorgeous locations combined with wonderful hospitality left us with a treasure trove of memories.
They promoted the hashtag ‘#ExploreIndianIslands,’ encouraging fellow citizens to support domestic tourism.
Former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra urged Indians to choose wisely in light of the political tensions, emphasizing the importance of national dignity.
‘India Out’ was a part of the manifesto. Maldives voted for it. Now, it’s up to us, Indians, to choose wisely. I know that my family will. Jai Hind
It is so cool to see our Hon PM Narendrabhai Modi at the beautiful clean n stunning beaches of Lakshadweep, and the best part is that yeh hamare India mein hain.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Moosa Zameer, said, “The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of #Maldives. We remain committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially our neighbours, based on mutual respect and understanding.”
The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of #Maldives.
We remain committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially our neighbours,…
As the controversy continues to unfold, diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives face a test, with the tourism industry caught in the crossfire of political tensions.
The Indian government has issued notices to Bollywood A-listers Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan for appeared in gutka advertisements despite a ban on promoting the addictive and harmful products.
The actors have been issued notices by the government after a court hearing in which the state lawyer mentioned that the Supreme Court is already looking into the. matter. The actors appeared in the ads years ago. Akshay Kumar has even apologized to his fans for doing the advertisement.
Gutka is an addictive substance made from areca nuts and tobacco. Once extremely popular in the subcontinent, gutka is known to cause cancers of the mouth, head and neck.
After the Jaranwala riots, where a Christian neighborhood was burned down by a violent mob because of blasphemy allegations, many Pakistani celebrities and public figures were quick to condemn the authorities that failed to control the violence , and called for swift action to be taken against the perpetuators. Ashok Swain, the chairperson of the UNESCO International Water Cooperation and professor at Uppsala University, pointed out how Pakistani celebrities were quick to condemn communal riots and ethnic violence against minorities, while in Bollywood the silence of public figures is deafening when it comes to speaking out against the rising hate crimes against minorities.
“Pakistani film stars have spine. Indian film stars only know how to count money,” Swain tweeted.
Pakistani film stars have spine. Indian film stars only know how to count money. https://t.co/yS09xGBLnK
Since Wednesday, prominent public figures like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Mahira Khan and Azekah Daniels have all spoken against the brutal act of injustice against the Christian community in Pakistan. Taking to her Instagram stories, Chinoy, a two- time Oscar winner, slammed ‘hypocritical’ Pakistanis who are quick to react when the Holy Quran was burned but were silent when churches were demolished yesterday by a lynch mob.
“Two faced: That word best describes Pakistanis who are quick to point out the state of Muslims in India but who turn the other way when someone says look at the state of minorities within your own borders.”
‘Pasoori’ singer Shae Gill, who is a Christian, described how the incident made her completely speechless, and expressed hopes that the masses are educated so that these atrocities can come to an end.
Meanwhile, celebrities in Bollywood have been called out publicly in the past for promoting communal violence and Islamophobia through their films. Akshay Kumar was publicly criticised when his film ‘Sooryavashni’ promoted Islamophobia. During an interview when he was asked about the anti-Pakistani themes of his film ‘Bell Bottom’ to which the A-list actor had responded: “It’s just a film.”
Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was targeted by BJP politicians as a ‘terrorist’ and in January, the music video for his film ‘Besharam Rang’ was targeted because of the baseless ‘Love Jihad’ theory- that claims Hindu women are seduced by Muslim men and then converted into Islam- by conservatives who threatened to burn down the theaters where the movie would play.
This obviously doesn’t mean that cinema in Pakistan is more progressive and open to accepting minorities, but we cannot deny the power of public figures who use their platforms to educate masses about sensitive topics, is far more important in today’s troubling issues in order to help fight against the growing communal violence and hatred.
After giving Bollywood a hit film with the Katrina Kaif starrer Sooryavanshi in November 2021, all of his films- Bachchhan Pandey, Samrat Prithviraj Raksha Bandhan and Ram Setu, turned out to be flops. He is also trolled for being a selfish actor who just takes away all the money from producers and just does an average job in each film.
His flops have sent the filmmakers in dismay. This has also resulted in his replacement from the sequels of his films.
Now budding superstar Kartik Aaryan has replaced him in the next edition of his cult film franchise Hera Pheri. He even replaced Akshay in Bhool Bhulaiya‘s sequel last year.
Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Suniel Shetty became one of the most loved comedy trios after Hera Pheri and Phir Hera Pheri were released decades ago. Soon the film became a cult. As the third installment is in the making, Paresh Rawal now reveals that Kartik Aaryan has come on board.
Producer Firoz Nadiadwala recently confirmed that he is planning to bring back the comedy films franchises. The much-awaited Hera Pheri 3 that fans have been demanding for so long is finally seeing the light of day. Amidst this, speculations were rife that Kumar has backed out and the new actor will be Kartik.
A Twitter user, seemingly a fan of Akshay Kumar, tagged Paresh Rawal and asked whether the reports of Kartik Aaryan joining the cast of Hera Pheri 3 is true. The veteran actor confirmed it by replying, “Yes it’s true.”
Akshay Kumar attended the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Sunday. He broke his silence on the controversial matter as he said, “Hera Phera has been a part of me and I have good memories about it. Mujhe bhi dukh hota hai ki itne saalon se woh film bani nahi matlab uske aage ka part 3. (I am also upset that this film has still not been made, the third part.) We have to dismantle things. We have to start thinking in a different way.”
In a rare scenario, Akshay Kumar revealed why he made an exit from Hera Pheri 3. He revealed, “The film was offered to me and I was told about it. But the screenplay, script and everything, I was not satisfied, not happy with it. I have to do what people want to see and that is why I backed out, I took a step behind. For me, it’s a part of me, my life, my journey, in a huge way. Mujhe bhi bahut dukh ho raha hai. Main khud bhi bahut dukhi hun iss baat se ki main kar nahi paa raha hun (I am also very upset. I am very upset with teh fact that I won’t be doing it) because I’m not happy with how things have shaped up. That’s why I backed out”
Just not that, Akki also got emotional with a heavy heart as he expressed gratitude towards his fans who demanded his return as Raju.
“Kal hi ki baat hai, mai dekh raha tha that ‘No Raju No Hera Pheri’. As much as hurt they are, I myself am hurt. It’s a very sad thing but at the same time, unhone is baat ko trend karaya, thank you very much. Mai bata nahi sakta, mere fans jo hai wo, unki pagal pan ki intehaan toh bohot upar tak hai. Bohot pyaar karte hai mujhe wo log. I apologize to them that I won’t be doing Hera Pheri,” Akshay Kumar concluded.
After Paresh’s confirmation, Akshay’s fans started a troll fest on Twitter.
Earlier this year, Akshay opened up about his consecutive failures.
Kumar said, “If my films are not working, it is our fault, it is my fault. I have to make the changes, I have to understand what the audience wants. I want to make changes, I want to dismantle my way of working and think what kind of films I should be doing. Nobody else is to be blamed but me.”
Akshay also replied to a question where he was asked if releasing a film directly on OTT is a safe route amid back-to-back failures, as his Cuttputlli will be directly arriving on Disney+ Hotstar. The Raksha Bandhan actor said, “It is not safe, that also requires people to say if they like the trailer or not. Nothing is safe, it is not our safety net. Even here (on OTT) people are watching, the media is watching it, the critics are watching it, the audience is watching it, they give feedback whether they like it or not. So, there’s nothing like creating a safe space, you have to work hard, period.”
Meanwhile, Akshay’s Cuttputlli is releasing on Disney+ Hotstar on 2nd September 2022.
Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi is currently riding high on the success of his Pakistani feature film, The Legend Of Maula Jatt, which has garnered over 100 crores globally. During the promotions of this Bilal Lashari directorial, Hamza exclusively revealed to The Current that he refused the Bollywood film Judwaa 2 starring Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu.
The Pyarey Afzal star said that he was approached for the film by Bollywood producer Sajid Nadiadwala however he turned the movie down for multiple reasons, but the primary reason was the turbulent relationship between India and Pakistan. Around the same time, Pakistani actors were banned from working in the Hindi film Industry.
Hamza’s co-star Gohar also guessed the same film on being asked about the Indian film which Hamza rejected a few years back.
The Man Mayal hero also rejected Akshay Kumar’s political thriller Baby due to its anti-Pakistan content. Another Pakistani hero, Mikaal Zulfiqar, later performed the role.
Actor Mehwish Hayat took to her Twitter handle to condemn Bollywood bigwigs for maintaining silence on the flood crises in Pakistan.
The London Nahi Jaunga diva shared that she’s disappointed by Bollywood celebrities for their lack of support for Pakistan at a time when the country is facing devastating floods while celebrities across the world were expressing concern like Bella Hadid and Engin Altan.
Mehwish took to her Instagram Stories to share a note by journalist Haroon Rashid, who hosts a show on BBC. Acknowledging his post and calling his point ‘valid’, she wrote, “The silence from the Bollywood fraternity is deafening.
In his original post, Haroon had said, “I genuinely thought humanity knows no borders but it’s telling that hardly any Bollywood stars have posted about the devastating floods in Pakistan – raise awareness, share links, just show sympathy. They know how popular they are and how much that acknowledgment would mean.”
Pakistan is in a state of national emergency with over 1,200 dead, over 12,000 injured and tens of millions displaced.
Mehwish said, ‘Suffering knows no nationality, race, or religion – no better time for them to show us that they can rise above nationalist politics and care about their fans in Pakistan. We are hurting and a kind word or two would not go amiss.”
Last November, Hayat spoke out against the stereotypical and problematic portrayal of Muslims in major Bollywood films.
The Tamgha-e-Imtiaz recipient turned to her Instagram stories to call out Rohit Shetty’s latest directorial Sooryavanshi.
The Punjab Nahi Jaungi star also urged Bollywood to ‘build bridges’ not ‘hatred’ in their movies.
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan Kartik Aaryan, Katrina Kaif, and Aditya Roy Kapur have tested positive for Covid’19 virus.
Kaif also tested positive in April 2021. This time she had to skip the IIFA 2022 ceremony on Saturday, where her husband, actor Vicky Kaushal, was awarded the Best Actor Male for Sardar UdhamSingh. Katrina and Vicky were spotted together at filmmaker Karan Johar’s birthday party on May 25 alongside Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan at Mumbai’s Yash Raj Films studio.
With the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the BMC has issued fresh alerts instructing film studios in K-West ward to not organise parties.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted about it. “Just came to know that our Brand Ambassador Shahrukh Khan has been detected covid positive. Pray fastest recovery for the superstar. Get well Shahrukh! Spring back asap!
According to News18, the Dhoom 3 diva has completed her quarantine period. When Vicky was asked about Katrina not being with him in Abu Dhabi for the IIFA Awards, he said, “Even I am missing us together as well”.
Meanwhile, on Saturday Shah Rukh revealed the first poster of his upcoming film Jawan, and said ‘inevitable issues’ led to its delay. He had announced the film with a teaser on Friday.
The news of Shah Rukh and Katrina testing positive for the virus, comes a day after actor Kartik Aaryan confirmed he had Covid-19. Actor Aditya Roy Kapur also tested positive for Covid-19, according to reports.
In May, actor Akshay Kumar could not travel to Cannes Film Festival 2022, after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Bollywood film, The Kashmir Files has recently been released in India which has ignited the environment of hatred against Muslims. It is based on the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley.
The film is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The film cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.
Some hatred incidents were reported after people watched the film in cinemas. Anti-Muslim slogans were chanted by the audience.
After watching the film, One man stood from his seat and loudly said, “If every (Hindu) man started marrying (Muslim) girls then their population will be reduced to half after three generations. They will give birth to less number of children. We are watching a film here and Muslims are increasing population at home.” Later, people started chanting “Jai Shri Ram”.
This is call for extermination.
Theatres used to be a safe space for everyone: for couples, for minorities, for friends. Muslims have been robbed of one more comfortable public space today. Muslims going to theatres now stand the risk of mob violence. pic.twitter.com/Uwe8XHBRZa
Indian Journalist, Mohammed Zubair has shared a clip from a cinema hall where a man was shouting to boycott Bollywood films, especially of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. He used vulgar language against these actors.
The audience joined with him and started chanting, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.
The film has fuelled the violence and hate against Muslims in the current radical situation of the country.
This is a video from outside a cinema hall in #Delhi, the capital of the #india. #KashmirFiles has spoiled the atmosphere of the country by showing the film Request to the Chief Minister of Delhi @ArvindKejriwal, please protect Delhi or save the environment from getting worse. pic.twitter.com/5BRqnGgfTV
The Indian government openly endorsed the film in the public. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut recently crictised A-list celebrities for not promoting ‘The Kashmir Files’.
One user also slammed Ajay Devgn for not saying a single word for ‘The Kashmir Files’ but he is promoting the ad campaign of Shah Rukh Khan instead.
Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam are among A-list Bollywood stars who talked about the film.
Hearing absolutely incredible things about your performance in #TheKashmirFiles@AnupamPKher Amazing to see the audience back to the cinemas in large numbers. Hope to watch the film soon. Jai Ambe. https://t.co/tCKmqh5aJG
Being married to a Kashmiri Pandit, I know first hand of the atrocities that this peace-loving community has gone through. But majority of the nation is still unaware. It took us 32 years and a film to get to know the truth. Please watch and support #TheKashmirFiles . https://t.co/rjHmKVmiXZ
Indian comedian Kapil Sharma and Akshay Kumar have been grabbing headlines for some time.
It has been reported that the Sooryavanshi star has refused to come to The Kapil Sharma Show to promote his upcoming film Bachchan Pandey because of the previous episode. Well, both have good relation and it is quite evident on the show too.
In the previous episode, something went wrong because of which Akshay became angry. And now finally Kapil has reacted to the controversy. The comedian took to his Twitter handle and cleared the misunderstanding.
Dear friends,was reading all the news in media about me n Akshay paji, I have jus spoke to paji n sorted all this, it was jus a miss communication, all is well n very soon we r meeting to shoot Bachhan pandey episode. He is my big bro n can never be annoyed with me thank you
Kapil writes, “Dear friends, was reading all the news in media about me n Akshay paji, I have jus spoke to paji n sorted all this, it was jus a miss communication, all is well n very soon we r meeting to shoot Bachchan Pandeyepisode. He is my big bro n can never be annoyed with me thank you.” Till now Akshay has not responded to it. The row started when the actor came to promote Atrangi Re.
During the episode, the Bollywood star had requested that the section around his interview with Indian Prime Minister Modi should be dropped from the show.
While the question was not aired, it later leaked and went viral. This made Akshay angry and he had refused to be on Kapil’s show to promote his film, Bachchan Pandey.
Apart from Akshay, it also stars Kriti Sanon and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead roles. The film is scheduled to be released theatrically on 18 March 2022. It is a remake of the 2014 Tamil film Jigarthanda and it starred Varun Tej and Pooja Hegde.
